“With these words, he recognized and validated the worth of my family and my home environment…the letter also conveyed an understanding of the centrality of family and honor in Mexican culture. My principal was sensitive and reached out my parents with such a positive regard that was rarely extended to Mexican families such as mine” (Prieto 5).

Prieto, L. (2009). The stings of social hierarchies: From the San Joaquin Valley vineyards to the ivy walls. In J. A. Van Galen & V. O. Dempsey (Eds.), Trajectories: The Education and Social Mobility of Education Scholars from the Poor and Working Class (pp. 71-81). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

I found this quote particularly moving because I feel like as a society, we place too much pressure on immigrants to assimilate into American culture. However, many of these immigrants pride themselves on certain characteristics of their culture, such as the importance of family or honor, and they struggle to maintain these characteristics while also adjusting to their new lives in the United States. We should respect these cultural differences and show this respect in classrooms throughout the country.

In the classroom, educators should make a concerted effort to know the cultural background of their students and what values those students have personally. By connecting with the students in this manner, educators can enhance the learning environment. I also think teachers can get a better sense of these cultural values by getting to know the parents of their students as well, so I think that should be a priority of teachers to the extent that it is possible. Actions such as these can have long-lasting, positive impacts on immigrant students; years letter, Prieto remembers fondly the letter that her principal wrote to her parents. By trying to help students as much as possible, teachers can help these immigrants adjust to their new life both academically and socially.